Massachusetts Football Prepares For Road Test At Iowa

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 3	Massachusetts (0-2) at Iowa (1-1)
Date \| Time	Saturday, September 13 \| 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Location	Iowa City, Iowa \| Kinnick Stadium
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Series History	First Meeting
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Iowa: Game Notes
Watch	Big Ten Network
Listen	WHMP 101.5 FM & 1400AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Twitter	@UMassFootball
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

AMHERST, Mass. -- Massachusetts football prepares for its first road test of the 2025 season on Saturday, Sept.13 against Iowa at 7:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

SERIES HISTORY

Massachusetts and Iowa will be meeting for the first time
The Minutemen last played a Big Ten team on Oct. 14, 2023 when they traveled to then sixth-ranked Penn State

QUICKOUTS

Tyler Martin (pick six) and DD Snyder II each had an interception against Bryant, marking the first two interception game by the Minutemen since Oct. 28, 2023, when UMass downed Army 21-14 (Juan Lua and Jeremiah McGill had the interceptions on that day)
Massachusetts is one of three MAC teams with a defensive touchdown this season, joining Toledo and Western Michigan.
UMass ranks first in the conference and eighth nationally in net punting (47.44), while Iowa ranks 20th nationally (44.86).
Keegan Andrews' 50.1 yards per punt ranks second in the MAC and seventh nationally.
Jacquon Gibson's 110.5 receiving yards per game ranks second in the MAC and 15th nationally, while his 9.5 receptions per game leads the MAC and ranks tied for second nationally behind only Lewis Bond of Boston College (11.0).
Against Bryant, Derek Morris' 53-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter marked the longest field goal in program history, surpassing Sandro Vitiello (vs. Boston College, 1978) and Denis Gagnon (vs. New Hampshire, 1971) who both kicked a 52-yard field goals.
Prior to the Temple game, projected starting defensive end Joshua Nobles and projected primary backup left guard Zachary Franks were ruled out for the season due to injuries.

HARASYMIAK ERA UNDERWAY

On December 10, 2024, Joe Harasymiak was formally introduced as the program's 32nd head coach during a press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center
Harasymiak arrived in Amherst with 17 years of coaching experience, including seven seasons as the defensive coordinator at two FBS institutions: Minnesota (2018-21) and Rutgers (2022-24) .
Harasymiak advanced up the coaching ranks at Maine, starting as a defensive assistant/defensive backs coach in 2011 and working his way to serving as head coach from 2016-18
He led the Black Bears to the 2018 CAA Championship with a 7-1 conference record. Maine then advanced to the first Football Championship Subdivision national semifinal game in program history
A native of Waldwick, New Jersey, Harasymiak graduated from nearby Springfield College in 2008 after playing defensive back for the Pride from 2004-07

MARTIN MAKES HIS MARK

Against Bryant, linebacker Tyler Martin had a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown, marking Martin's first career interception and first career touchdown.
In that game against Bryant, the Acton, Massachusetts native also set a career-high mark with nine tackles (five solo), besting his previous career-high of six set at Georgia on Nov. 23, 2024 and last week against Temple on Aug. 30, 2025.
It was the first UMass interception returned for a touchdown since Dashaun Jerkins versus Miami (OH) on Sept. 9, 2023.

ANDREWS HONORED

Senior punter Keegan Andrews was named the Week One Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week, as announced by the Augusta Sports Council and Ray Guy Award organization (Sept. 3).
Andrews had a 66-yard long punt and only one was returned on the day.
Three of the Werribee, Australia native's four punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Against Temple (Aug. 30), Andrews had four punts for 228 yards, while recording a net average of 57.0 yards.

FIRSTS AT UMASS

Against Temple (Aug. 30), Rocko Griffin had his first rushing touchdown with the Minutemen and the 12th of his career.
Also against Bryant, DD Snyder recorded his first interception as a Minuteman in the fourth quarter (third of his career).
Against Bryant, running back Brandon Hood's second quarter, 13-yard rushing touchdown was the first of his career and tight end Max Dowling had the first three catches of his UMass career (had 26 catches in two previous seasons with UTM).
Against Bryant (Sept. 6), linebacker Tyler Martin had a pick six for his first career interception and touchdown.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Keegan Andrews

Max Dowling

Zachary Franks

Jacquon Gibson

Rocko Griffin

Brandon Hood

Dashaun Jerkins

Juan Lua

Tyler Martin

Jeremiah McGill

Derek Morris

Joshua Nobles

DD Snyder